Luis Salazar

November 12, 2024

According to Baseball Reference, 54 players have worn the number 12 in Tigers franchise history. Casey Mize currently wears it. Let’s look at a few Tigers that wore number 12 during the Fungo’s focus, 1977 through 1994:

Milt May, 1976 – ’79
Marty Castillo, in 1981 and ‘82, before switching to number 8.
Glenn Wilson, 1982 and ’83
Rod Allen, 1984
Chris Pittaro, 1985
The late Dwight Lowry, 1986 and ’87 — he wore number 25 in his debut season, 1984.
Luis Salazar, 1988
The late Mike Brumley, 1989
Ed Romero, 1990
Rich Rowland, 1990 – ’93
John Flaherty, 1994 – ’96

Birthdays

Ryan Kreidler, Alex Faedo, Gary Thurman and the late Herm Merritt, Red McDermott and Ed Killian

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid #590: 9/9 — Rarity: 55

See you tomorrow.

The Monday Fungo: June 17

June 17, 1984: Tigers 7 – Brewers 4

W: Dave Rozema (3-0) – L: Bob McClure (1-2) – S: Aurelio López (8) | Boxscore

Record: 47-16 — 6 games up on Toronto

Highlights

The Tigers scored five in the fifth off McClure and Jack Lazorko.

Chet Lemon went three for five and drove in two runs. Tom Brookens had two hits and two RBI.

Rozema pitched the first five innings, allowing just a run on four hits. Lopez went the rest of the way.

Miscellany

Venue: County Stadium
Umpires: HP – Mark Johnson, 1B – Terry Cooney, 2B – Tim Welke, 3B – Bill Kunkel
Time of Game: 2:51
Attendance: 44,902

Mike Brumley – IF #12

Former Tigers infielder Mike Brumley died this weekend at age 61. He was only in Detroit for one season, the abysmal 1989 campaign.

The Tigers picked him up on March 23, 1989 from the Padres for Luis Salazar.

Brumley appeared in 92 games for the Tigers, playing second, short and third, along with center and left field, and batted .198.

On Jan. 10, 1990, the Tigers traded him to the Orioles for Larry Sheets. The O’s released him at the end of Spring Training and Brumley latched onto the Mariners for that season.

Birthdays

David Pauley, Matt Kinzer – who pitched for 1990 Tigers AND punted for ’87 Lions – and the late Claude Rossman

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 442 9/9: Rarity: 82

See you tomorrow.

The Sunday Fungo: May 19

May 19, 1984: Tigers 5 – A’s 4

W: Jack Morris (8-1) L: Steve McCatty (3-3) – Save: Aurelio López (5) | Boxscore

Record: 31-5

Highlights

Darrell Evans went 3 for 4 with two RBI, and Lou Whitaker, Lance Parrish and Chet Lemon each had two hits.

One of Whitaker’s hits was his fourth homer of the year.

Morris 7.1 IP, eight hits, six walks and six strikeouts.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Dan Morrison, 1B – Marty Springstead, 2B – Jim McKean, 3B – Durwood Merrill
Time of Game: 3:00
Attendance: 42,906

Luis Salazar #12

The Tigers signed veteran utility man Luis Salazar as a free agent on Feb, 20, 1988. He has spent the previous season with the Padres, where he began his career in 1980.

He appeared in four of the five games in the 1984 World Series, hitting one for three. After that year, he was sent to the White Sox in blockbuster. He, Ozzie Guillén, Tim Lollar and Bill Long went to Chicago for LaMarr Hoyt and minor leaguers Kevin Kristan, Todd Simmons.

Salazar spent the 1985 and ’86 season in Chicago and went back to San Diego as a free agent in 1989.

He had one year in Detroit and he was solid: appearing in 130 games and batting .270 with 12 homers.

Sparky plugged him in everywhere: all three outfield slots and all four infield positions.

At the end of spring training 1989, the Tigers sent him back to the Padres for Mike Brumley. He played his final four seasons with the Cubs.

Birthdays

Tim Corcoran, Brandon Inge, Alan Zinter and Luis Salazar

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 413 9/9: Rarity: 34

See you tomorrow.

The Weekend Fungo

From the Archives: Jason Thompson

On May 27, 1980, Sparky traded my favorite Tigers player — my first favorite Tiger — first baseman Jason Thompson, to the California Angels for outfielder Al Cowens. (For more on Cowens, check out this post from the archives.)

The Hollywood native joined the Tigers full time in 1976 and played 123 games that year, hitting .218, with 17 home runs and 54 RBI. Two of the homers cleared the rightfield roof at Tiger Stadium. It was in 1977, though, that he made his mark: .270, 31 homers and 105 RBI, and an All Star Game selection.

In 1980, Thompson got off to a slow start: .214/4/20 in 36 games, and Sparky invoked his My Way or the Highway clause and sent his first baseman to Orange County.

As I’ve said before, Thompson’s replacement, Richie Hebner, was a favorite of mine too. But, who were the Tigers kidding? Hebner over Jason Thompson?

You can read the full post in the Archives.

Random Game: May 8, 1988

Tigers 9 – Mariners 3

Sunday, May 8, 1988
Start Time: 1:35 p.m. Local
Attendance: 12,695
Venue: Kingdome
Game Duration: 2:50
Day Game, on turf
Boxscore

The Tigers built a 9-0 lead behind Frank Tanana’s 7-2/3 innings, and led by Luis Salazar’s 3 for 4, 3 RBI day.
Chet Lemon and Gary Pettis had two hits apiece.
Willie Hernandez pitched the final inning and a third.
Two amusing tidbits: The Mariners’ starting shortstop was former Cubs and White Sox manager Rick Renteria, and Harold Reynolds went 0 for 5. 🙂
W: Frank Tanana (6-1)L: Mike Campbell (2-4)

Birthdays

Feb. 24: Bryan Kelly and the late Bubba Phillips, Pinky Pittinger, Lynn Nelson, Wilbur Cooper, Bugs Raymond, Monte Beville

Feb. 25: Rich Rowland and Ken Szotkiewicz

Weekend Grids

Yesterday
⚾️ Immaculate Grid 328 7/9 — Rarity: 239
Today
⚾️ Immaculate Grid 329 9/9 — Rarity: 12

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. See you tomorrow.